Machine for applying folded strip



A. JQGERMAIN ET AL 2,280,069

MACHINE FOR vAPPLYING FOLDED STRIP April 21, 1942'.

Filed Sept. 4, 1941 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A ril 21, 1942.

A. J. GERMAIN ET AL MACHINE FOR APPLYING FOLDED STRIP Filed Sept. 4, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 sole blank having the folded to around the forepart.

v, Patented Apr. 21, 1942 UNITED "STATES PATENT oFFicE MACHINE FOR APPLYING FOLDED STRIP AlbertJ. Germain and Andrew J. Germain,

Haverhill, Mass.

Application September 4, 1941, Serial No. 4095M 13 Claims.

This invention relates to the folding longitudinally of a strip of sheet material and the securement of the strip thus folded to a blank, and as here illustrated is arranged to apply this folded strip to the marginal portion of a shoe sole blank in the manufacture of a shoe innersole. In order to apply the strip inposition it is coated on one face with an adhesive.

7 One of the objects of this invention is to accomplish the automatic feeding and folding of this strip in such a manner that the adhesively coated face has little contact with any of the machine parts thus to prevent removal of. the

adhesive from the strip andthe gumming up of machine parts with such adhesive.

A further object is to provide a strip feed which is automatically adjustable inaccordance with the requirements of the work to avoid, on the one hand, the placing of undue tension on the strip where it is applied to the work, and on the other hand, an undueslackness between the source of supply and the point of application to the work.

Further objects and advantages will appear from a more complete description of an embodii which is secured an arm *6, on which is rotatably mounted a frusto-conical presser roller I which is shown as having a knurled periphery. The bar 5 is normally downwardly pressed as by a spring 8 reacting between the under face of the upper sleeve 4 and a collar 9 pinned to the rod 5, thus to hold the roller I downwardly pressed toward a supporting and feed roller I projecting upwardly through a slot in the base I and carried by a shaft I2 journaled beneath the top faceof thebase I. This roller I0 is arranged to be rotated to feed the work and to this end the shaft I2 is shown as provided hement of this invention shown in the accompany ing drawings in which Figures .1 and 2 are side elevation and top plan views, respectively, of a machine embodying the invention. I I I Figure 3 is a detail sectional view to a larger scale on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure dis a detail sectional view on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a detail section to a larger scale on line 5--5 ofFigure 2. I

Figure 6 is a perspectiveview of an innerstrip applied there- Figure 7 is a lateral'sectional view through the forepart of the innersole of which the product shown in Figure 6 is a part the right hand edge portion being shown in condition to receiveinseam stitching.

Figure 8 is" a fragmentary perspective view showing the folder and related parts.

The machine as shown in Figures -1 and 2 com prises a base I which may be supported on a table or benchand fromthe rear end of which extends upwardly a standard 2 having an arm 3 at its upper end extending forwardlyfrom the arm 2 and over the forward portion of the base I. This arm {has at itsforward end a pair of vertically spaced sleeves 4 within which is slidably mounted a rod 5 to the lower end of r p r neath the post 2 with a worm wheel I3 meshing with a worm I4 on a vertical shaft I5 rotatably supported in the standard 2. At its upper end this shaft I5 carries a bevel gear I6 meshing with a bevel gear I! on a horizontal drive shaft I 8. This drive shaft carriesa pulley on its outer end or any other suitable means by which it may be rotated. When using a pulley, the rotation may be effected through a drive belt 2| from any suitable driving means.

It will be seen that the feed roller I0 revolves by power, but that the presser roller I is journaled with free rotary motion, being rotated by the motion of work with which it contacts and which is fed by rotation of the feed roller III. The bar 5 may be lifted to permit the ready insertion or removal of work between the rollers I and II] and to this end, the collar 9 may be .provided with a transverse pin 23 beneath which may engage one arm 24 of a lifter lever 25 pivoted at 26 to the machine arm 3.

Supported in any suitable way adjacent to the machine is a reel 30 which may carry a supply of the strip material which is to be folded and applied to a blank fed between the rollers I 0 and I. As shown this reel comprises a disk on which a roll of the strip material, as 3!, may be supported. This disk asshown is carried at the outer end of the arm 32 extending from the base I. A spring coil 33 fixed to a central pin 34 of the supporting arm 32 may be employed to resiliently engage the inner face of a coil of the strip material 3|, thus to hold this coil in feeding position. This strip material is provided with an adhesive-on one face and its opposite face is so formed as to not adhere strongly to the adhesive. As is Well known in the art this I may be done by applying a coating of wax or other material to which the adhesive cannot strongly adhere to the face of the stripopposite to the adhesively coatedface.

The strip leads off from the supply and to a feeding means by which it is conducted to a folder, which may be of a conventional form, located at 35 (see Figures 1, 2 and 8). This feeding mechanism as shown consists of three feeding mechanisms. The one nearest to the folder comprises a continuously moving endless surface element shown as a feed roller 40 fixed to the shaft H to be rotated therewith. The strip material a passes around .a considerable extent of the periphery of this roller 40 and passes therefrom over a flanged pulley 4| and about a second flanged pulley 42 at right angles thereto to the folder 35 wherein the strip material is folded with its non-sticky face inwardly presented. This folder is positioned closely adjacent to the nip between the rollers I and I so as to permit the roller 1 to engage on the upper face of the folded strip and press it against the marginal portion of a blank 45, the marginal portion of which rides on the feed roller Ill in the position shown in Figure 5. The strip a is presented to the upper face of the blank 45 herein shown as an innerscle blank and in full view of themachine operator, the roller 1 pressing the folded strip against the blank with the fold line of the strip positioned inwardly from the outer margin of the blank while the free edges of the fold are in substantial registry with the blank edge, these parts being held in proper relation to the edge of the feed roller 1 by an edge gage member 46. Both the edge gage member 46 and the folder 35 are shown as carried by bars 41 and 48 having adjustable screw and slot connections through the base I which permits them to be adjusted to the proper positions relative to the edge of the sole member.

Between the continuously rotatable feed roller 40 and the supply 3| are a pair of feed mechanisms, the first one being arranged to take the tape from the source and feed it toward the roller l0, while the other feed mechanism is an automatically acting mechanism which supplements the first feeding mechanism as may be required to produce a feed of the strip toward the feed wheel exactly in accordance with the requirements of the work. As shown both of these feed mechanisms which take from the supply are intermittent in their action. The one nearest to the supply, as shown best in Figures 2 and 4, consists of an angle-shaped member 50 having a slot through the long leg of the angle member and adjacent to the inner face of the short leg 52. To the long leg 53 is secured as by a screw 54, one end portion of a leaf spring 55, the opposite end of which bears against the strip on its adhesive coated face and acts as a pawl to prevent retracting motion of the strip relative to the feed member 50. This member 56 is secured to an end of a bar 56 as by a screw 57, and this bar 56 has one end portion cut away as at 58 to form a recess within which is journaled a cam roller 59 on a stub shaft 60. This cam roller bears against the outer face of an eccentric 6| secured to the shaft I8 so that as the shaft [8 is rotated, the cam follower 59 is caused to reciprocate and with it the bar 56, in a direction axially of this bar. The cam roller 59 is held up against the periphery of the eccentric 6| as by a coil spring 65 reacting at one end against a .collar 66 pinned to the bar 56 and at the other end against the base of a casing member 61 through which the bar 56 reciprocates. This casing 61 may be secured to a bracket member 68 secured to the inner face of the standard 2. As this bar 56 is reciprocated, it moves the feed element 50 in a similar manner, the spring 55 en gaging the strip as the feeder 50 moves from the full line position to the dotted line position of Figure 4, carrying the strip with it and peeling it off from the supply, the spring 55 preventing the feeder 50 from sliding idly over the strip. This reciprocating feed mechanism is so proportioned as to feed the strip material very nearly as fast as it can be taken by the continuously rotatable feed roller 40, it being of course evident that because of the intermittent nature of this feed member 50, at each feeding stroke it pulls off an excess of strip material which is gradually taken up by the feed roller 48 during the idle time when the element 50 is being retracted, at which time the member 50 slides idly over the strip. At this time, however, the strip is held against retracting motion by means comprising a flanged guide roller 10 over which the strip a passes, where it is engaged by the free end of a leaf spring H adjustably fixed to a screw tightened slide 12 which is mounted for longitudinal adjustment on a guide piece 13 secured as by screws 14 to a suitable portion of the machine frame. The engagement of the free end of the spring II on the adhesive coated side of the strip prevents retrograde motion of the strip on backward movement of the feed member 50 but it is yieldable to permit the strip to pass in the opposite direction toward the periphery of the feed roller 40. In order to prevent the strip from sticking to the feed mechanism, it is arranged with its non-sticky side against the inner face of the feed member 50 and around the pulley l0 and around the feed roller 46, as shown this requiring the strip to be twisted somewhat between these members which engage it, since their feeding surfaces are movable in different planes.

It will be noted that the shaft l2 which carries the feed roller is positioned out of vertical alinement with the pulley 10 so that there is an unsupported stretch of the strip material between the pulley Ill and the feed roller 40, which may at times be slack because of the relatively fast intermittent feed of the strip by the feed member and the slower but continuous feed motion of the strip from the feed roller 4!].

It is, of course, important that the strip be fed at a speed to meet the requirements of the work feed roller l0 so as to avoid undue tension.

on the strip which might cause breakage and would be liable to cause puckering or other improper laying of the strip on the face of the sole member. It is also important that the strip be fed at a rate not too fast, which would result in undue slackness of the strip material. Both of these factors are of particular importance since their effects are cumulative if they are allowed to continue. There is also some variation in the requirements of the strip feed when the strip is applied to portions of different curvature on the sole member due to unavoidable slippage between the feed wheel l0 and the blank, which further complicates the feed requirements. In order to automatically provide for the proper feed regardless of variations therein due to slippage or other cause, a supplemental feed mechanism has been devised which feeds an amount determined automatically by the degree of slackness or tightness of the strip material in the length between the feed wheel 40 and the pulley 70. This mechanism as shown is intermittently actuated and cooperates with the unsupported stretch of the strip material between thepulleym and the feed Wheel 40. As shown it is driven by the same means which actuatesthe feed element 50. It comprises a rod 16 secured at its rear end to a suitable part of the intermittent feed actuator l and as shown to the stub shaft 60 to which it is adjustably se curedasby a set screw H (see Figure 4). The

opposite end portion ofthe rod "I2 is turned to form a pusher portion 18-so positioned thatit terial past the pulley l and taking up the feed produced by the motion of the feeder element 50.

Due to the angularity of the engagement of the feed rod .16 to the length of the strip the amount of .feed effected by an extent of motion of this I rod after it engages the strip and equal to the corresponding motion of the member 50 in line with the strip produces a greater amount of feed than the motion of the element 50, thus pulling an additional length of strip material through the element 50 from the supply. The extent of this additional pull is dependent on the time in the feed stroke that the feed rod en- ,gages the strip which in turn is dependent in the amount of slackin the unsupported stretch.

If it engages the strip early, it acts to pull off a greater amount with the help of the feeder 50, then if itengages this stretch later, so thatthe amount pulled off at each stroke by these two intermittent feed mechanisms is measured by the requirements of the feed roller since its previous feed; Thus the amountpulled off from the supply is automatically regulated in accordance with the requirements of .the continuously moved feed surface of'the feed wheel 49. After passing the feed wheel Ml, it passes over the guide pulleys 41 and is directed to the folder 35 and then to the workas previously explained. I

It will be noted, also, that the strip material engages with its non-adhesive face about these pulleys and is guided by "the pulley 42 with its non-adhesive coated face against a wall of the folder 35, so that the internal surface of the 4 folder has minimum contact with the adhesive.

The stripaemerges from the folder in folded adhesive coated face outwardly presented, the

non-adhesive face being on the inside of the fold.

to make close contact and its knurled surface acting to remove a minimum of the adhesive from u the upper face of the strip.

Where this machine is employed to apply the folded strip in this manner to the marginal portion of one face of a sole blank, it may do so about the forepart of the blank only, as shown in Figure 6, or it may be carried around through the shank portion or around the shank and. heel, if desired, depending upon the manner in which .theshank and heel of the shoe is to be lasted. To whatever portion of the sole blank it is applied, however, it is intended to receive thereover a reinforcing layer of fabric such, for example, as duck or canvas as shown at 80 in Figure 7. The top adhesive coated portion of the strip adheres to the lower face of the fabric layer 80 so that when the marginal portion of this fabric layer is turned inwardly from the position shown on the left hand side of Figure '7 to the position shown on the right hand side, it is inposition to form an inseam stitch-receiving rib spaced from the margin of the inner- -'sole by the distance of the line of fold at 8| from theouter margin of the innersole.

sole per se forms no part of our invention.

This inner- From the foregoing description of an embodiment of this invention, it should be evident to work blank, means for feeding a strip of sheet material having an adhesive surface, means for folding said strip longitudinally with the adhesive surface outwardly presented, and means for directing'the strip so folded against the face of the blank adjacent to said feeding means and for pressing said strip against said blank.

2. In combination, means for supporting and feeding continuously the marginal portion of a sole blank, means for feeding a strip of sheet material having an adhesive surface, means for folding said strip longitudinally with the adhesive surface outwardly presented, and means for directing the strip so folded against the face of said sole blank adjacent to said feeding means and with the folded edge positioned inwardly from theedge of said blank and for pressing said strip against said blank.

3. In combination, means for supporting and feeding continuously'the marginal portion of a work blank, meansfor feeding a strip of sheet material having an adhesive surface, means for folding said strip longitudinally with the ad- 'hesive surface outwardly presented, and means feeding continuously the marginal portion of a condition as shown best in Figure 8 and with the work blank, means for feeding a strip of sheet material having an adhesive surface, means for folding said strip longitudinally with the adhesive surface outwardly presented, and means for directing the strip so folded against the face of the blank adjacent to said feeding means and for pressing said strip against said blank, said feeding means including an intermittently acting feed element mounted to engage an unsupported stretch of the strip and to feed said strip by an amount dependent upon the tightness or slackness of said stretch.

5. In a machine of the class described, a strip feeding means comprising a continuously moving endless surface member, means in advance of said endless surface member for pulling off said strip material from a supply, there being an unsupported stretch of the strip between'said pulling off means and said endless surface member, and a reciprocatory feeding member actuable to engage the strip on its upper face at said stretch and depress said strip and draw the strip through said pulling off means to an extent depending on the amount of slack in said stretch.

6. In a machine of the class described, a stripfeeding means comprising a continuous feeding mechanism and a pair of intermittent feeding mechanisms arranged in series and feeding to said continuous feeding mechanism, means for actuating said intermittent mechanisms in unison, the second of said intermittent feeding mechanisms having an intermittent effective feeding stroke determined by the amount by which said first intermittent feeding mechanism feed is less than the feed requirement of said continuous feeding mechanism and acting when effective to pull the strip through said first intermittent feeding mechanism,

7. In a machine of the class described, a strip feeding means comprising a continuous strip feeding mechanism and an intermittent strip feeding mechanism delivering the strip material to said continuous feeding mechanism, and a supplemental feeding mechanism between said continuous and intermittent feeding mechanism having an effective feeding action dependent on the amount of slack in said strip between said continuous and intermittent feeding mechanisms.

8. In a machine of the class described, a strip feeding means comprising a pair of feeding mechanisms spaced along the strip, and a supplemental feeding mechanism between said spaced mechanisms and having an effective feeding action dependent on the difference of effective feeding speeds of said spaced mechanisms.

9. In a machine of the class described, a strip feeding means comprising a pair of feeding mechanisms spaced along the strip, a supplemental feeding mechanism between said spaced mechanisms and having an effective feeding action dependent on the differences of effective feeding speeds of said spacd mechanisms, and means for intermittently actuating said supplemental feeding mechanism.

10. In combination, means for supporting and feeding the marginal portion of a work blank, means for feeding a strip of sheet material having an adhesive surface, means for folding said strip longitudinally with the adhesive surface outwardly presented, and means for directing the strip so folded against the face of the blank adjacent to said feeding means and for pressing said strip against said blank.

11. In combination, means for supporting and feeding the marginal portion of a sole blank, means for feeding a strip of sheet material having an adhesive surface, means for folding said strip longitudinally with the adhesive surface outwardly presented, and means for directing the strip so folded against the face of the sole blank adjacent to said feeding means and with the folded edge positioned inwardly from the edge of said blank and for pressing said strip against said blank.

12. In combination, means for supporting and feeding the marginal portion of a work blank, means for feeding a strip of sheet material having an adhesive surface, means for folding said strip longitudinally with the adhesive surface outwardly presented, and means for directing the strip so folded against the face of the blank adjacent to said feeding means and for pressing said strip against said blank, said feeding means including mechanism responsive to the speed of application of said strip to said blank for regulating the rate of feed of said strip to said folding means.

13. In a machine of the class described, a strip feeding means comprising a driven endless surface member, means in advance of said endless surface member for pulling off said strip material from a supply, there being an unsupported stretch of the strip between said pulling off means and said endless surface member, and a feeding member reciprocally movable to engage the strip on its upper face at said stretch and depress said strip and draw the strip through said pulling off means to an extent depending on the amount of slack in said stretch.

ALBERT J. GERMAIN. ANDREW J GERMAIN. 

